How to Get a Higher Test Score

  1. Take every practice test you can! You can find numerous online just by searching on the web “DECA (Insert Cluster Name) Cluster Practice Exams.” When taking these tests, I would make sure you understand why you got each question wrong. In my opinion, reading through the answers is far more significant than taking the actual test. If you don’t get a certain concept when testing, search for it online and take the time out to read articles or watch a couple videos. Your friends, family, and teachers are also great resources to use!

  2. Learn your vocab! All of the DECA Exams you take will be heavy with vocabulary, and so it is essential that you understand all terms possible. I personally find it very helpful to search for glossaries on the web - I know Quizlet is a very helpful tool! Just a simple “DECA (Insert Cluster Name) Vocabulary” search on the web can land you hundreds of terms! Another thing I would do is to go through a list of all the Performance Indicators in your event and write down every term you are unfamiliar with. When studying your vocabulary, I would make sure you really understand the terms rather than just the definition. Take some time to set up a schedule and memorize roughly 20 terms a week. Review the terms you previously learned and try to employ them in sentences to increase retention. The vocabulary you learn will not only assist you when you take your test but when you do your Roleplays -  judges are very impressed when they hear these terms!

  3. Know your exam! You can find breakdowns of every DECA Cluster Exam here. This is an amazing resource primarily because it tells you what concepts to focus on the most. The instructional areas provided on the chart are broad categories you need to understand before you take your test.

  4. Try to convince your chapter to get Competition University! Competition University is a website that is designed to train DECA members in any competitive event. It has all the DECA resources ready to go, will teach you performance indicators, and go over practice tests with you.

  5. Use the official DECA Images Resources. DECA Images sells competition materials you can purchase online. This includes things such as flashcards, tests, and much more. This is a great way to study, as you know these resources are reliable since they come from DECA themselves.

  6. For any other resources, visit www.texasdeca.org! Texas DECA provides a wide array of materials to help you succeed as a DECA member, whether it be competition, chapter management, or leadership development. Also, please let Texas DECA know if you have any requests for a new resource to be made

BY: DHRUV GOMBER

 

Related Resources:

Why You Should Compete in a Role Play Event

Roleplays are the perfect way to test your skills of improvisation and quick-thinking or just confidence improvement! If you’re willing to take on the challenge of spontaneity, roleplays are the optimum type of competition for your DECA experience.

Test your knowledge!

Given performance indicators and a scenario, your true knowledge about your competitive event is being put to the test! This best indicates your strengths and weaknesses, helping you build your knowledge and experience of working in the business world. Not only does this improve your skills and application, but also allows you to showcase your abilities on the tested subject. Roleplays really give you a chance to put your best foot forward, if you’re willing to work for it!

Build your confidence!

Learning to present or speak in public can be intimidating and embarrassing, however, roleplays are the icebreaker to gaining confidence in your presentations. Roleplays give you a safe environment to practice your presentation, in a one-on-one environment with the judge. This allows you to have a more intimate environment, giving you tense, yet secure, conditions to grow your confidence skills. A large factor in roleplays includes your confidence levels: handshake, eye contact, posture, and overall engagement. These confidence indicators can boost your presentation, and teach you valuable lessons for future interviews where confidence is key! Considering the factor of improvisation and spontaneity, with practice, roleplays help teach confidence even when you feel overwhelmed in an interview.

Give you an accurate image of real-life situations!

Taking on a hypothetical role and purpose in these interviews allows you to not only assert confidence but gain knowledge of how your skills are applicable in the business world. All roleplays have a situation that is likely to occur in your future of conducting business, whether it comes to customer satisfaction or managing resources. Roleplays give you an accurate representation of problems that employers face and allow you to explore the options of solutions. Not only will this increase your score in a DECA competition, but furthermore prepare you for your future in the business world. Practicing creating new ideas and solutions with originality and leadership in a roleplay inclines you towards being more successful in the future when you approach a similar situation.

BY: MADELINE SEVERSON

 

Related Resources:

Industry Insight

Check out these resources to see what a career in each of these fields could look like!

FINANCE

Jobs for Graduates with a Finance Degree
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-jobs-for-finance-majors-2064048 

What can you do with a finance degree?
https://www.gmercyu.edu/academics/learn/careers-in-finance 

Interesting Finance Careers You Didn’t Know Existed
https://www.kaplanfinancial.com/resources/getting-started/interesting-finance-careers-you-didn-t-know-existed 

12 Interesting Jobs in Finance
https://www.bentley.edu/news/12-interesting-jobs-finance

HOSPITALITY

Careers in Hospitality
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/hospitality-job-titles-2061496

Potential Jobs with a Hospitality Management Degree
https://www.kent.edu/ehhs/fla/hm/15-potential-jobs 

Getting started in Hospitality
https://www.livecareer.com/resources/jobs/search/hospitality 

4 Steps to Getting a Job as a Hotel Manager
https://blog.capterra.com/4-steps-to-getting-a-job-as-a-hotel-manager/ 

Get Your Foot in the Door in the Hospitality Industry
https://www.facebook.com/notes/academy-of-learning-career-college/going-into-the-hospitality-industry-5-tips-to-get-your-foot-in-the-door/10154504451454373/ 

10 Reasons Hospitality Jobs are Great
https://www.caterer.com/advice/10-reasons-why-hospitality-jobs-are-great

MANAGEMENT

Careers in Management:
http://www.careers-in-business.com/management/; https://thebestschools.org/careers/management-careers/

What can I do with a major in Management & Leadership?
https://business.ku.edu/what-can-i-do-major-management-leadership

What to know about a career in management:
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/is-management-for-me-2275352

 

Related Resources:

Using Key-Word Dropping to Your Advantage

Guide to Personal Branding

Career Aptitude Tests

16 Personalities

This site provides a “personality” (or preference) assessment that returns a 4-letter code similar to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Users will answer questions and be provided with detailed free information about their type with the option to explore all 16 types. There is a strong “Our Theory” page that describes how the assessment was created and where to go for additional information.

assessment.com (MAPP)

The MAPP is an interest survey designed by the International Assessment Network in Minneapolis, MN. A free sample MAPP Career Analysis is provided to help individuals identify their preferences for working with people or things, and other job characteristics; it also suggests some occupations that match these preferences. The resulting report is sent to the user via e-mail, outlining his or her “natural motivations and talent for work” and matching these to five occupational descriptions from O*NET.

ASVAB Career Exploration Program

The Department of Defense provides high schools with the Career Exploration Program as a career planning and exploration program. This is free to the schools and students and can provide career path information that students may not be considering. It includes an aptitude and interest assessment with links to occupations.

CareerOneStop Self Assessments Pages

This site has free online self-assessments for interests, skills, and work values. Users who take the assessments can print and/or save their results and compare with occupational information.

cddq.org

In addition to the Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ), this site includes seven more free assessments designed to assist individuals in the process of making a career decision by helping them clarify difficulties and providing a framework for career decisionmaking organized into a three-stage process. Information about and access to Making Better Career Decisions (MBCD), an Internet based career planning system, is provided. There is a special section of the website with information specifically for career development practitioners.

GSP Life Plan

Career, education, finance, leadership, and personal plans for success for students. Start with the assessments and learn how to create smart goals and action plans.

O*NET Career Exploration Tools

These instruments will help individuals identify their work-related interests, what they consider important on the job, and their abilities in order to explore those occupations that relate most closely to those attributes.

O*Net Interest Profiler

The O*Net Interest Profiler is an assessment of client interests based on Holland’s theory (RIASEC). This page has direct links to the four forms of the interest profiler including a 60- question web-based version, a 30-question mobile-friendly version, a paper and pencil handscored version, and downloadable software.

personal globe inventory

This interest assessment was created by Arizona State University to help students and clients match interests scores to occupations and college majors.

student interest survey for career clusters

A career guidance tool that allows students to respond to questions and identify the top three Career Clusters of interest based on their responses. This pencil/paper survey takes about fifteen minutes to complete and can be used in the classroom or for presentations with audiences who have an interest in career exploration. The survey is available in English and Spanish and can be viewed and printed.

work importance profiler

What's important to you in a job? Discover how much you value achievement, independence, recognition, relationships, support, and working conditions in a job. Get a list of jobs that reflect your values.

 

Related Resources:

Robert's Rules of Order

School-Based Enterprises

DECA Guide

Register Your Members

School-Based Enterprise Guidelines